Neighborhood Holds Halloween In May For Boy With Rare Condition
While we certainly love all the horror and creepiness that Halloween brings, there is an innocence and warmth of community to the holiday that takes many of us back to our childhoods, when the most exciting night of the year was the one when you got to become your favorite character and get more free candy than you could eat, which brings us to this recent human interest story that is simply so heartwarming and in the spirit of our favorite day that we have to share.
As ABC Radio reports, a California boy received an early birthday present on Sunday, when his neighborhood celebrated his favorite fall holiday five months early, because Carter Sarkar suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare metabolism disorder in which the body cannot break down sugar molecules. There is no cure, and Carter’s life expectancy is mid-to-late teenage years.
On Sunday, May 21, Carter’s family, friends, and community trick-or-treated in May for his Halloween-themed party, just days before his fifth birthday.
“With where is he right now, he’s still speaking and walking … we are trying to make as many memories as we possibly can,” Carter’s mom Jen Sarkar of Castaic, California, told ABC News. “We are just humbled for the outpouring of love and support everyone has shown Carter and our family.”
Carter was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome on May 11, 2016. He is expected to lose his speech, ability to walk, and may develop seizures, in addition to other side effects. At this time, there is no cure or treatment for the condition. There are some clinical trials, but because Carter has a secondary condition (pancreatitis), it excludes him from participation in those trials.
Before symptoms begin to surface, Carter’s mom and loved ones decided to give him a birthday he’ll never forget, as the entire block participated in trick-or-treating and dress-up for the early Halloween celebration.
Carter (pictured below) dressed up as Darth Vader from Star Wars.
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